Flora of North America species comparison

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Delphinium variegatum

Delphinium variegatum subsp. thornei

royal larkspur
Photo is of parent taxon

royal larkspur, Thorne's larkspur, Thorne's royal larkspur
Stem(s)

(10-)20-50(-80) cm;

base reddish or not, not longitudinally ridged, long-pubescent.

base sparsely long-pubescent.
Leaves

blade round to pentagonal, 1-4.5 × 2-6 cm, pubescent; ultimate lobes 3-15, width 3-8 mm (basal), 2-5 mm (cauline).

Inflorescences

(4-)6-17(-20)-flowered, open;

pedicel 0.5-3(-7) cm, usually puberulent;

bracteoles 2-7(-23) mm from flowers, green, linear-lanceolate, 3-8 mm, puberulent.

usually with fewer than 16 flowers per branch.
Flowers

sepals usually deep royal blue, sometimes bright blue to light blue or white, ± finely pubescent, lateral sepals spreading, 10-18(-25) × 6-10 mm, spurs straight, ascending ca. 30° above horizontal, 10-19 mm;

lower petal blades slightly elevated, ± exposing stamens, 4-11 mm, clefts 0.5-3.5 mm;

hairs sparse, more on inner lobes than outer lobe or centered, scattered on margins, white or yellow.

sepals bright blue to light blue, lateral sepals 17-21 mm;

lower petal blades 6-11 mm.
Fruits

9-19 mm, 2.2-3.8 times longer than wide, ± puberulent.

Seeds

not echinate, appearing ± smooth to naked eye;

seed coat cells with margins ± undulate, surfaces roughened.

Delphinium variegatum

Delphinium variegatum subsp. thornei
Phenology Flowering spring.
Habitat Grassland, oak woods
Elevation 0-500 m (0-1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

Delphinium variegatum subsp. thornei has an extremely restricted distribution, is very poorly known, and is imperiled by grazing. Delphinium parryi and D. variegatum subsp. kinkiense are the only other taxa of Delphinium naturally found on San Clemente Island.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Long hairs dense on base of stem; sepals usually deep royal blue; mainland.
subsp. variegatum
1. Long hairs sparse on proximal portion of stems; sepals white to bright blue; islands.
→ 2
2. Sepals bright blue to light blue.
subsp. thornei
2. Sepals white to light blue.
subsp. kinkiense
Source FNA vol. 3. FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Echinata Ranunculaceae > Delphinium > sect. Diedropetala > subsect. Echinata > Delphinium variegatum
Sibling taxa
D. alabamicum, D. alpestre, D. andersonii, D. andesicola, D. antoninum, D. bakeri, D. barbeyi, D. basalticum, D. bicolor, D. brachycentrum, D. californicum, D. cardinale, D. carolinianum, D. decorum, D. depauperatum, D. distichum, D. elatum, D. exaltatum, D. geraniifolium, D. geyeri, D. glareosum, D. glaucescens, D. glaucum, D. gracilentum, D. gypsophilum, D. hansenii, D. hesperium, D. hutchinsoniae, D. inopinum, D. lineapetalum, D. luteum, D. madrense, D. menziesii, D. multiplex, D. newtonianum, D. novomexicanum, D. nudicaule, D. nuttallianum, D. nuttallii, D. parishii, D. parryi, D. patens, D. polycladon, D. purpusii, D. ramosum, D. recurvatum, D. robustum, D. sapellonis, D. scaposum, D. scopulorum, D. stachydeum, D. sutherlandii, D. treleasei, D. tricorne, D. trolliifolium, D. uliginosum, D. umbraculorum, D. viridescens, D. wootonii, D. xantholeucum
D. variegatum subsp. kinkiense, D. variegatum subsp. variegatum
Subordinate taxa
D. variegatum subsp. kinkiense, D. variegatum subsp. thornei, D. variegatum subsp. variegatum
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 32. 183: not D. variegatum Baillon 1883 Munz: Aliso 7: 70. (1969)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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